The percentage of members 18–74 years of age who had an outpatient visit and whose body mass index (BMI) was documented during the measurement year or the year prior to the measurement year.
Why It Matters
“Obesity” is defined as an amount of body fat higher than what is considered healthy for an individual’s weight.1,2 Recent studies found that obesity contributes to nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States.2 Obesity ranges are determined by using a commonly used weight-for-height screening tool called the “body mass index” (BMI). This correlates with the amount of body fat.1 BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity.3 Careful monitoring of BMI will help health care providers identify adults who are at risk and provide focused advice and services to help them reach and maintain a healthier weight.
ADULT BMI ASSESSMENT RATE
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). 2012. “What are Overweight and Obesity?” http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. September 2012. “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future.” Issue Report. http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2012/rwjf401318
- Masters, R.K., E.N. Reither, D.A. Powers, Y.C. Yang, A.E. Burger, B.G. Link. October 2013. “The Impact of Obesity on US Mortality Levels: The Importance of Age and Cohort Factors in Population Estimates.” American Journal of Public Health 103, No. 10, pp. 1895–1901. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301379. http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301379